Babes of the World Unite
by Dinette
Summary: What happens when Ayako decides to start her own basketball team...? And who exactly are her enlistees...? Find out? Click the above. Wahaha...so smart, so smart. (Beats down those who laugh) I'm done.
1. [First Girl]

****

[First Girl]

You know something? I'm quite pissed. Actually quite pissed. It's like this, yeah? I was having an awfully hard day already, what with trying to prop my eyelids up in class, and also having my "monthly visitor" that day, etc. 

And then at basketball practice --- yeah, I'm the manageress. Fancy name for the maid-of-all-work, but I'm diverging from the point. I just did the ritual of whacking where whacking is required, when Sakuragi --- that annoying guy who spouts fountains and fountains of crap, has the nerve to COMPLAIN. And did I mention that I was pissed? 

So anyway, I try to apologise, possessing the utterly sweet personality within the recesses of my soul. After all, maybe I did whack a bit on the hard side. So, I'm like, explaining that I'm just in a foul mood today, because it's my time of the month and so on. And then the idiot goes clueless on me, and says in this loud voice,

"What? Time of the month? Time for what?"

I could just murder him, standing right there at the side of the courts. 

Except for the fact that most of the team members seemed equally as clueless as he. The few smart ones were blushing like mad, but everyone that mattered (Akagi, Mitsui and ESPECIALLY Miyagi…) had this "Huh?" expression on their faces. And I could swear that even Rukawa looked faintly puzzled. 

Then Kogure (Who, being of a higher intellect, understood my delicate situation) tried to salvage the situation and rescue the poor damsel in distress, me of course. Only in the wrong way. He frantically herded then to one corner, and explained exactly what I meant. Oh. Did you know, Kogure? It's the wrong time for a sex-education course. I can see --- yep, all those faces turning a traffic light red. I'm blushing myself. 

And Sakuragi, in his oh-so-tactful way, tried to rid himself of his embarrassment.

"Then maybe we shouldn't have a girl manager. Then she…I mean he…wouldn't be so grumpy."

That was it. The final straw. The last nail in the coffin. Whatever. So I wheeled round impressively, and stalked straight out of those metal doors. And I even made my stompy footsteps extra loud for emphasis.

Later Akagi called me. He made no mention of the earlier incident that provoked Sakuragi's response, but told me in his usual gruff manner that the team wanted me as the manager, even if I was a girl. 

I was still smarting from earlier on, and the gruff way Akagi put it --- wanted me, even if I were a girl… So they figured that they were doing me a big fat favour by allowing me to come back, were they? 

"You know? I think the team will do **fine** with another manager. A **male** one this time." I screamed, and slammed down the phone with vigour to match that of a dunk. 

Then picked it up again. I had more to say. "Oh, and **I'm** going to start a **girl's** team. **And** it's going to be better than yours!" 

Oh couldn't I just feel the Gorilla anger radiating in waves over the phone. I slammed it down again for effect. 

Fine. So I was being snippy. 

Then the full horror of what I had said dawned on me. 

Oh. 

No. 

****

What girls' team could I come up with?

I lay back on my bed, and started to count the cracks on the ceiling. It helps me to concentrate. And, in the middle of my deep concentration, I drifted off onto a troubled sleep.

Around the middle of the night, I sat up. The idea, the kind that comes around once a month to Einstein and once a lifetime to the rest of us had come to me. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating, but yeah, I had **some** idea on the possible candidates for the team. The first girls basketball team of Shohoku High.

I went to my desk, and switched on my lamp. Biting my pen-cap, I opened my notebook, normally reserved for recording stuff like how many rebounds, fouls, etc. a player had gotten for each game. I stared a bit at the block letters in front 'SHOHOKU BASKETBALL TEAM' and carefully inserted the word 'GIRLS' in between the 'SHOHOKU' and the 'BASKETBALL'. And tore out all the used pages. 

'Members (possible)' I wrote on the fresh page. 

'Haruko'. Yeah, that girl lived, breathed, and talked basketball. And her friends, Yuriko and that girl with two ponytails… possibly. 

Four members, including myself. Who else. Oh, I knew. 

'Ru' 

'Ka' 

'Wa'. 

I put down my pen, and flung back my head, and laughed with abandonment. Wiping the tears flowing down form my mirth-filled eyes. No, seriously. I poised my pen to cancel the last three entries. But then again, why not? The more the merrier. 

Oh good, I was done. I recapped my pen, closed the book, and lay back on my bed, snuggling into the duvet. Now I could sleep in peace. 

Oh wait, no that sounds like I'm about to die. Change it to: Now I could slumber deeply, with pleasant dreams. Yeah.

[#] 

Yeah? The first all-girls team of Shohoku High is set to… flunk? Rule? And what will the Rukawa Brigade get up to? Wanna find out? Read on… when I upload the second chapter. (Nyahaha. This is the point in soap opera's when commercials come on.)

[#]

Be a darling… review?


	2. [Two and Rocking on]

****

[Two and Rocking On]

I've never seen Ayako so…so…angry before. She just stormed out. Crouching at the door, I tried to camouflage with the wall pattern as she swept by, not even noticing me. At home, oni-chan called her to apologise. In his own way of course. Oni-chan doesn't express himself very well when apologising. But you must excus him: he rarely feels the need to apologise. I came in at the point when Ayako was screaming at him. And oni-chan was slowly getting madder. Little smoke trails started drifting around his ears, and when he finally put down the phone, there were several veins popping from his face. I sank down in a chair beside him, letting him cool down first. I know my brother well. Once he cools down he gets more reasonable. And he never refuses his younger sister. 

"Oni-chan… maybe… the way you said it came out different than you meant. So it's your fault too, a bit."

"My fault? But that girl is beyond reason. Screaming like that." 

He was becoming more and more vocal.

"Oni-chan? You're shouting too."

"Eh? Oh, sorry. Well, maybe you are right."

"Uh-huh. You should write a letter instead. Then that way I can reread what you wrote."

It took him half the night to write the apology. And here it is, I reproduce it below.

Ayako:

I apologise on behalf of the Shohoku basketball team for insulting you.

Akagi Takenori.

It is without the many blotches, crosses, and scribbles.

So he gave Ayako the note. I accompanied him to make sure the transaction went well. It did, Ayako said that she was feeling kind of bad about her behaviour the other day as well, so now I guessed that everything would go back to normal, and Ayako would go back to being the manageress. But I was wrong. O - oh… what was happening? **What** did I just hear? Play that back.

"Maybe you **should** start a girls team. For a while. That will teach the team to appreciate you."

"Well, yes, and now, a girls team seems quite a good idea. I wonder why this wasn't done before?"

So in I broke. "Oh Ayako, let me join, let me join, please? Please?"

She looked slightly amused. "I was intending to ask you anyway… ask Yuriko and Matsui too." (A/n :: worried look:: I think those are the names, right?) So…I suppose I'm kind of the second member of the girls team. Anyway, I needed to go ask Yuriko and Matsui if they would join with me. After all, we've done most things together.

"Oh, and by the way, which classes are the…Rukawa Brigade, at least I think that's what they call themselves, in?"

Why do I have this sudden sinking feeling? Ayako, no, you can't mean…

"I want to ask them to join too."

*** 

Ah well, I guess one can never have the best of both worlds. Later I went over to Ayako's house and talked over the details. She hadn't really thought it through properly. A team not only needs players, it needs a coach, it needs to have a training ground, it needs to have the necessary equipment to train. Now where were we going to get all those? 

Ayako just looked a bit lost. Then she cheerfully told me that she had that all worked out too. She and Akagi had talked to Anzai-sensei, and between them, they decided that Monday, Wednesday, Friday would be reserved for the boys' team, and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday would be for the girls. "And… the coach?"

"Oh, I'll be coaching you. Quit looking so afraid." She leaned over and whacked me gently with the fan. "Of course Anzai-sensei offered to help out sometimes."

Then it was time to make a few phone calls. 

*Ring ring…*

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Ayako from Class (X) Year 3. I'm starting up a basketball team for girls. Would you be interested to join?"

(Suspiciously) "Basketball. Will we get to see Rukawa-kun on a regular basis?"  


"Well, not exactly, but you might even get a chance to play a match against him…" 

"Hang on, this calls for a group discussion."

On the other side

Ru: So what do you think, Ka, Wa?   
(Ka and Wa have been busy eavesdropping on the other line.)

Ru: Ka? Wa?  
(Ka and Wa are too busy dealing with the enormous pink hearts blocking their vision.)

Back

"Yes. We'd love to." "But of course we love Rukawa more…" she added as an afterthought.

*** 

Do you ever get this feeling, of a million butterflies in your stomach, especially when you think about what's coming? I do. To be more precise, I am. First practice starts next week, and I just get all nervous and happy at the same time whenever I think of it.

[#] Oooogh. I want to stay and type some more, but I can't! I have Chinese tuition. And that lasts around 3 hrs. And Chinese is like, my worst subject. Besides math. And Geog. And Science. And Music. Bleagh. Do any of you guys have tuition too? Anyway, I reread the previous chapter, and yeah, Ayako is OOC. Whups. (Sheepish look) I hope Haruko isn't OOC too. I tried to make it sound more like **her** but I'm not too sure how that worked out. Ah well. It's off to tuition I go. Please please reviewwwwww…[#]

PS (I can't stand my Microsoft Word. It changing the default for English (UK) to English (US) and then I get ugly red marks all over)


	3. [Th-t-three...*flush*flush*]

This might take some time to type, cuz I can't stop dancing to 'You' (S Club 7) "Wheeee!" Oh mit-mitchan, you are psychic, yeah? That was freaky. My nose started bleeding after I uploaded the second chapter. Either that, or its the dry air or something. Yeah. Anyway, I think I **am** going to add Ryo/Aya. 

****

[Three]

Oh dear. I don't know what possessed me to join the basketball team. I've never even touched a basketball, let alone played in my life. What if I mess up? What if I let my team down? Right now I'm headed for the first basketball practice…

Haruko is so excited, and Matsui is trying to calm her down. I don't know, but I suddenly had this feeling… I **wanted** them to notice me, to let me tell them my fears, to let them allay them. Then Haruko turned around.

"Aren't you just so terribly excited, Yuriko?"

"Oh…Oh yes."

I dare say I'm being selfish and conceited, but I want… I want… to be better at them at something. To stand out. I don't want to be know as "that quiet, sweet, girl". I want to be known for something more.

*** 

I've never been on the court before. But as I stand here, just under the tall, intimidating metal structure, the hoop, I get this sudden sense, a sense of belonging. And it's so overwhelming.

Ayako is instructing us now. She's laying out her expectations for the team. And then she's running through the things we have to do and learn. Oh. Now she's scolding the RuKaWa Brigade. They're not paying attention, trying to guess which ball Rukawa-kun uses. They've just deflated one that reads 'Sakuragi Hanamichi' in small lettering.

I'm warming up, my muscles all tense, nervously anticipating, but eagerly embracing whatever comes next.

Oh. That would be more warming up.

Finally, we can move on. I'm the only one who doesn't have any idea of the game, so Ayako is taking me aside to explain…

The metal doors clang open, and a short and obscenely obese old man walks in. I recognise him as Anzai-sensei, the coach. He offers to explain to me the game.

The game is immensely complicated to me, So many moves, so many rules.

"Do you understand now?"

"Y-yes." Not really.

He chuckles, "You remind me of my daughter."

"Oh, how old is she?"

"She's passed away."

I stutter some apology, a little embarrassed at asking such a sensitive question. 

Haruko comes up wanting to teach me the fine art of the basics, but Ayako interrupts, and tells her that she'll teach me instead, and that she should join the other girls in their practice game. It's Matsui and Ka against Haruko and Wa. Ru is the referee.

Wa is surprisingly good, agile and nimble on her feet. Her only problem is that she cannot keep the ball in control, so it often lands up elsewhere then the intended area. Ka and Matsui make a good team. Ka, impulsive, relies too much on her height to block the others, but Matsui makes up for it by backing her up. Ru looks a bit bored, and has to blow her whistle every few minutes for a foul, or because the ball goes out of the court. 

And me, I'm just practicing basics. I've seen Sakuragi Hanamichi doing this before, it looked pretty easy, but then now as I'm doing it, I realise how tough it is. I try to concentrate harder, and do exactly as Ayako tells me to do it. 

"Very good!" The compliment from Ayako warms my heart. She appears a little surprised though. Now she's gone over to Anzai-sensei.

Meanwhile

Ayako went over to Anzai-sensei. "Anzai-sensei… she's really quick! I think she's talented in this area."

Anzai-sensei just ho-ho-hoed. "I know, I know…"

Back

I'm a little apprehensive now. What on earth did Ayako talk to the coach about? I flush, as I momentarily lose concentration and control of the ball. Oh dear… it has hit Ru on the forehead.

"Gomen!" I guiltily bow my head.

*** 

I'm getting tired, after doing basics for half an hour. 

I don't have much stamina. I don't go jogging like Haruko, nor do I posses superhuman strength like all those players on the boys' team. I've never been overtly active in the physical aspect. I'm the kind of girl who will stay at the back of the crowd during Physical Education classes (PE) and line up at the very back during things like the high jumps, or at the long jump pits. During the annual PE test, I'd always just make myself do the minimum, then stop. I've never tested my limits, seen how far I could go. 

Ayako…how much more must I continue?

I think she can sense that I'm tired, and she lets me stop. The break is a welcome relief. I sit at the sidelines, watching the ongoing game. Now Ayako has joined the game, making it Matsui, Ayako and Ka against Haruko, Ru and Wa.

"Watch the players, tell me their mistakes."

I swing round in surprise. I had no idea that Anzai-sensei had come up beside me. 

"Ano…" I am a little self-conscious. After all, how can I point out other's mistakes, when I myself am way behind them? But it is an order from the coach, so I obey.

"Well, Matsui should be taking more risks, and not be afraid to play against Haruko, even though they are good friends. Haruko herself is good, but she and Wa should have a system like the others to agree on who will catch the ball. As it is, they either both dive for the ball, and miss, or assume the other is catching it, and miss…" I flush again, a little shy about voicing my thoughts.

"Mmm… and also note that Ka and your friend Matsui should not over depend on Ayako to get all the points."

The game has ended. It is a draw, although Ayako and Haruko are having a slight tiff about whether the final point scored by Ayako should have been counted.

*** 

"Ahh! I'm very happy! How do you find the game, Yuriko?" Haruko cannot wait for the next practice. 

I smile quietly to myself. "I find it very nice."

[#] Tadaa! Oh dear, hols. end tomorrow, and I'll be getting my Chinese, math, and Geography CA marks back on Tuesday. Oh, and I always **did** like Yuriko. Please **review**. It is your duty as a reader. (Look! Propaganda!) Even if you have reviewed alreadi, it wouldn't hurt to review again, right? [#]


	4. [*extra* Spy Guy]

****

[Spy Guy]

He was watching her. She could tell. Not so much that she could see him, but she just _knew_ he was there. She tensed up, and missed the next shot. 

Miyagi Ryota sat in the bushes, gazing upon his beautiful Aya-chan practice her shots. He pined for her every basketball practice. She was so perfect, in every way… Ah! Inspiration came to one. Quietly he crept away home, to add another entry to his little notebook of love poems.

My Aya-chan 

So beautiful art thee

With curly hair

Up to your…knee

Your sparking eyes

And with their vivid black irises

Remind me of

Beady eyes of…mices (Yes, the author knows there is no such word)

And shall I compare thee

To a spring afternoon? (Ryota is trying to be oR-I-GiN-aL!)

You are prettier by far

Enough to make me a…loon

You are so pretty

That tinkling laugh

Your lovely features

Like a…calf (Ha ha, calves are supposed to be real innocent like, so I supposed I could use it)

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He missed her every second they were apart, Aya-chan… _his_ Aya-chan, someday, he hoped. Hopefully someday soon…

[#] Yes, I do know that this is dead short, but I don't have the time to write more. Mid-year exams are up next, and it's my streaming into subjects' year. Sorry! [#]


	5. [Party of Five]

An utterly unimportant note. What, you don't trust me?!?

__

This whole thing was intended to be pu_rely humor. But try reading through again, and you might notice double meanings, symbolisms, and generally all those things we hear so often in _literature_ classes, that deeper strain of thought. I didn't realise this myself until I took it upon myself to read what I had written. Then I saw that my subconscious had been working away all the while. I thinks its most apparent in the previous chapter with Yuriko, or this chapter, so look out for it if you feel up to it, and only if you have recovered from sitting through 3 straight blocks of lit._

****

[Party of Five]

__

I had a dream last night. It was more of a recollection really. As in, it happened to me before in Junior High. I was running after a bus. I had to catch it, it was the last bus, or I would've to walk all the way home. I chased it for around two stops, all the way waving wildly, but the driver just didn't seem to notice. Then I finally got on as it stopped to let a passenger off at the third stop. Which was when I realised that it was the wrong bus. In cases such as these, one can never decide between laughing, crying, or threatening the bus driver with strangulation through your awful school tie and making him stop exactly outside your house.

The curious thing was, I haven't had a dream, or at least one that I can remember in the morning, for ages and ages. To be precise, the last time I had a dream was before receiving my posting to my High School. Actually that was more of a nightmare, but such things are best forgotten…

Anyway, I was pretty disappointed that time at not having gotten into my choice school, but now I am glad I ended up in Shohoku High…because there us Rukawa-kun to hanker after…

My life in junior High is nothing more than a blank spot to me. Back then I used to reflect on how empty my life was. I had nothing in Junior High. Now my life has something – Rukawa…(insert 3 hearts)

So I took on a new name, joined two friends, and became the Wa in the RuKaWa Brigade. I didn't think so much anymore about how empty or active my life was. I guess I subconsciously assumed it was full. 

Now I don't know, I just don't know anymore… After I joined basketball, everything seems different. Like life just turned richer. Probably because of more activities. But lately – I think less and less of Rukawa, and more and more, I think I'm beginning to see so many other things in such a myriad of different colours. 

Writing this down, I can see that I'm not being entirely honest with myself. Who am I kidding? I don't love Rukawa, I've never really loved him. I love basketball. But if I admitted that, I'd feel disloyal to the other two. I guess I chased after Rukawa like that bus, and now…I think it's the wrong bus. I'll never ever tell this to anyone, ever. I just **have** to continue being Wa. But yet, the new world I'm in…I don't want to give that up either.

My days are filled with so much now, we've had to cut down on some of our 'extra' activities, or to us, 'compulsory'. (that is, cheering Rukawa, mobbing Rukawa, drawing Rukawa and hearts, holding Rukawa meetings, beating up those who hate Rukawa (Sakuragi…we're watching…)) 

So we've made temporary, replacement leaders; dear good, devoted girls by the names of Ru2, Ka2, and Wa2. Now we three originals concentrate mainly on basketball. The drills do get fearfully boring at times, but it's just the feeling of exhilaration when you get a shot. 

I think that out of all of us, Yuriko has made the most astounding improvement. She's a regular shootin', runnin', jumpin, machine. But she deserves it. She practices and conditions by herself everyday, and is always so humble and fearfully apologetic when learning from her mistakes. 

There is a friendly rivalry between Matsui and I. It actually seems quite useless, you see, we fight to see who can make a certain person foul the most number of times during the game. 

We start off with three points. If we make a foul ourselves, we minus one point. If we make the specified person foul, we gain a point. The score stands at Matsui – 7, I – 4. Argh! I'll beat her yet! 

We've learned not to target Ayako though. She got really angry, hit us with her fan, and made us do loads of sit-ups. My stomach ached from the sit-ups and the silent laughter between Matsui and I. But she probably got mad because she was on our side during the game. Sheesh…talk about no sense of humor…

There goes the phone. I guess I'll close my diary and continue later. It's most likely Ru and Ka for our nightly chat.

[#] I forgot to add… what, you think I'm going to kill off the RuKaWa brigade? God save my soul. No way. My friend just gave me three beautiful erasers as a pre-easter present. I've named then Ru Ka and Wa. Isn't that precious?[#]


	6. [Six?]

****

[Six - Turning back time]

Remember Yuriko, remember? That day you were six? You were going to perform your kindergarten's rendition of "Cinderella" and you, yes you, were Cinderella, the star of it all. 

Everyone had rehearsed for ages and ages (A month) and you were word perfect during all the rehearsals. Then came the actual performance.

Do you recall the sickening lurch your stomach gave when the curtains (A heavy velvet, smelling of chalk) went up and you saw nothing in the dark auditorium, save a mass of a sea of a swarm of strange faces? 

And have you forgotten how you turned a delicate shade of pale green (Red: 919, Green 255, Blue 191) and vomited up your breakfast? (Eggs sunny side up, milk, toast and a spot of jam by the looks of it).

And do you remember how you cried and cried and ran off to hide behind a fake bush? (Cardboard, and handcrafted by the teacher). And how you refused to emerge but cried even more instead? 

Or how the whole show was called off because of you, and how disappointed your teacher was? And how your classmates were angry with you for a whole week, and you ate lunch alone for that time?

We, the memory-transmitters-crouching-in-the-deep-dark-lurks-of-your-brain (MTCDDLYB), certainly hope that by now you can vividly recall the incident. Passing you over to the 'Prediction-of-future-events-based-on-past-experiences' (PFEBPE) section of your mind now. We hope o hear of you again, in the near future.

Hello Yuriko, the PFEBPE is here to service you. Now, we've noticed that you've had an acute attack of stage fright whenever you have to perform. 

Actually, only twice, you learnt from that experience in kindergarten never to attempt such a feat again. However, Haruko did force you to perform as a dancer in a folk dance in Junior High, Second Year. You passed off as ill on the day of the performance. 

Now, we also have perceived that whenever such an event occurs, you actually are truly sick. You do not fake it. Your heart rate goes up, you flush, and you get a fever, a cold, and have insomnia the night before. 

You have always counted on this to get you out of competing in an event, having been selected to do so, or in performing (Read, folk dancing). But this time round, what will happen? 

We, at the PFEBPE, based on all the facts the MTCDDLYB has kindly regurgitated for us, predict that within 16 hours of the match, your stomach will feel a tad queasy. Within 10 hours, you will be anxious, 5 hours, and you will be hyperventilating, at 3 hours to go, you will be a nervous wreck, and just before the match itself, you will probably pass out.

PFEBPE is a service kindly sponsored by Fear Inc. and the "We're Here to Freak You Out!" © company.

[#] Wahoo. http://www.geocities.com/porridgenpickles is searching for a good, free host, (Bannerless, easy uploading [No buying of an FTP server], okay space, allows images) But will probably never find it. As always, **REVIEW!!! or go read **http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=687843 [#]


	7. [Hole in Seven – if you don’t succeed, t...

****

[Hole in Seven – if you don't succeed, try try again]

*Match at 1545 hrs * I'm so excited !* Can we make our target Rukawa this time, Wa? * NO * Fine, how about Miyagi? * NO * Hey, who asked Ayako? * Oh no, I'm going to puke * How boring, I'm sitting out again… * Hey, don't complain, you don't have to be the referee for every single game * Good Lord save my soul * Hey, Yuriko, relax… * Oh. My. God. * What? * I just heard: the boys DIDN'T even PRACTICE for this match. * What? * What?!? * WHAT! * What?!? * What? * Never mind girls, they think they're so above us? We'll show them * Yeah, kick their asses. * Matsui, you are so crude. * Whatever. *

[The miscellaneous conversations and thoughts pieced together throughout the day, of Matsui, Ayako, RuKaWa Brigade, Haruko and Yuriko. The match is beginning in half an hour's time. The girls have gathered at the gym]

"Target acquired…" Wa whispered to Matsui. Both began to grin evilly as Sakuragi Hanamichi approached the gym…

"Hmnhmmhmm…" Sakuragi smiled. Aha. So girls were beginning to look at the tensai weren't they? He knew it. Too bad ladies, but this man is taken. Haruko-chan… today the tensai will prove himself worthy of you…He will be forced to fight you, but he hopes to play a gallant match.

"Okay… today is the day. We've practised for weeks on end. Slogged away for hours on end. And its all come down to this. This match." Ayako's attention was suddenly divided from her team. "Ryota? Did you know it was rude to stare?"

Immediately a red faced Miyagi turned away. "Don't want to play against you."

"Don't be silly. Women admire men who can prove to be stronger than them, yet remain their slaves." 

Ayako slapped Matsui with the fan.

Just then, a familiar laugh rolled out from behind them. "Ho ho ho…don't you think you'd better get inside? The match is starting soon…"

"H-Hai! Anzai-sensei!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The great double doors creaked open as all the team members entered.

"Wh-what is going on?" 

"Nyhaha! They came to see the tensai. Isn't it obvious?"

__

"A mass of a sea of a swarm of strange faces…" Yuriko whispered…

From up in the gallery, to down by the sidelines of the court, were spectators, cheering the teams in.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Teams ready?" Ru, the ever-ready referee, was holding the ball up.

Yuriko turned pale. She was playing center.

And the whistle blew.

And Yuriko ran out of the gym.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The game had started already, and all the spectators were waiting impatiently. So Ka stepped in as a replacement. 

There is no real need to describe what went on next. (No, this is not an excuse because the author is too lazy/ too sick/ too busy wrangling with a stubborn piece of tissue paper stuck to her face, no, not an excuse at all.) The result was both anticipated and predictable. The girls were trailing behind by the first round, and were utterly defeated in the next. 

Sakuragi Hanamichi, however, was out with no less than 5 fouls by the end of the first round.

The RuKaWa Brigade was there too. But their sympathies were entirely divided, and one really had to pity them. At one moment, they would be cheering their Rukawa on; he had scored a point. Then next they would have to rush to the other side of the court to boo Sakuragi and scream for Wa to 'crush that nasty amateur'. 

There were also many little personal affairs, which prevented the girls from playing as well as they normally did. 

One, of course, would be pitching Ka and Haruko against Rukawa. Ayako wasn't too sure what might have happened, and she wasn't about to risk it. Another, but to their advantage, was Haruko and Akagi. Akagi, always the protective mother hen, didn't even jump, or try to block her as she made an easy three-pointer. 

And most surprisingly of all, Ayako found, was when she played against Miyagi. He wasn't playing with all his strength, but indeed with all of his concentration, as his intense face betrayed. The problem wasn't with him - it was with her. 

She couldn't help it… All of a sudden a strange bubbly feeling sprung up within her as she looked at him on the court. She impatiently pushed it down again, but annoyingly, it sprung right up, like one of those toys that one owned when very small, the one that refused to fall over. (A Wibbly-Wobbly man, I believe it was called? Or a Bu Dao Weng in Chinese.) 

Irked and disconcerted by these newly aroused feelings, she found that to her furious irritation, that she simply could not concentrate on the game.

A rematch was rescheduled for two days later. The girls left the match, annoyed with themselves, and a number of them annoyed at Yuriko as well. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was one bright spot in the other wise rather muddy puddle. After the game was over, and the spectators had gone, a man came up to them with Anzai-sensei. 

"Oi, Ayako, who's that?" Wa whispered. The man seemed familiar, but she just couldn't place him. That slight paunch, the head as bald as that of a parking meter, and the distinct 'S' shape his body made due to the weak spine…

"It's the head, you baka!" Ayako whispered back, wondering what the head had to say to them.

"Well, you girls didn't win. I was intending to see this match, but then I was held up. So instead, I will see your rematch. Anzai-sensei here assures me that you are definitely worth considering to be placed as an official activity in school. We shall see if you can prove this in your next match. So, good luck girls." and with that, he walked off. 

Wa and Matsui exploded into giggles at his duck-like manner of walking off. Ayako sighed and hit them over the head half-heartedly. She had so much to worry about, and now this. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yuriko was hiding at home, under the covers of her sheets. She didn't want to face the world, she could just stay nice and comfy in the little cocoon she had made for herself. Feeling ashamed. She didn't ever want to emerge again. Maybe she could move to Uganda? 

Which was when the door was rudely opened, and the lights switched on.

[#] I'm sick. Wachoo. Feeling nasty and all gluey and snutchish all over, if you know what I mean, so please, if you don't like this chapter, you have every right to complain. [#] 

PS. Now… If my memory is still functioning properly…Isn't a certain **someone** supposed to do the next chapter of her own fic right now, please?


	8. [And they 'eight our dust.]

****

[And They 'Eight our Dust] 

Yuriko was dressed in an oversized Yoda t-shirt, and looking very small and lost when Ayako burst in. Natural anger was warring with pity when Yuriko spoke.

"I'm s-sorry, Ayako! Very sorry. I never _meant_ to let you down!"

"Well, get up. We'll be playing against them again soon."

"I-I can't do it. I can't play. Its no use."

Ayako suddenly felt protective of his girl, wishing there was some way in which she could help her get over the awful problem of nervousness in front of an audience.

It was something that Ayako had never met before. Of course everyone felt nervous before the match, it was only expected; but surely once the game started…

"Nonsense. You'll play again, and you are certainly going to stay in the team. You play so well it would be such a waste if you were to stop, get over this thing, whatever it is. You'll have to fight yourself when the chance comes to play in public again. You'll have to promise yourself that you'll do it again."

"It's easy to _talk_…" Yuriko groaned.

"I know it is. But you can't let basketball go so easily when you show so much promise."

After a long time Yuriko said in a muffled voice, "I will try. Was the game lost?"

"Well, of course, but we intend this to be our first and last defeat. So you'll play tomorrow? This time you don't have to be center."

"Tomorrow? So soon? … Alright."

"Tha'as the spirit girl!" a strange inarticulate voice came from the direction of the door. Ayako yanked it open, and Haruko, Matsui, Ru, Ka and Wa tumbled in. 

There was a general round of sweat dropping. 

!~!~!~!~!~!

"Pwweeeeeet!" The match had started.

Incredulity flooded over Yuriko as she caught the ball from Ayako. "This is the match. The first time, but it just mustn't be the last." For a moment, the old fear overtook her. Then Mitsui tried to steal the ball.

Outraged that someone would try to do that (She considered it a low-down, sneaky method), she quickly passed it to Haruko. But Haruko was not in the best position to shoot, she was too far away… So Haruko passed it to 

"Ahhh! No! Wrong person!" She'd thrown it straight into the arms of a surprised Miyagi. Who unsuccessfully tried to elude Wa. Who scored a 3 pointer.

"Wahahahahahahahaha! Sakuragi lost to a girl!" The ever present Gundam were rolling on the floor with laughter. Steam slowly drifted up from Sakuragi's ears as he heard this. The Gundam shut up.

Fired by the insults, Sakuragi went on to get a successful rebound and actually dunked the ball (through the hoop, not on someone's head, you silly people.)

The teams fought hard, and by the end of the first round, it was 44 - 45 in favour of the boys.

^^^^^^Break^^^^^

In case any one is wondering, here are the markings. I like my fic to be nice and accurate.

Yuriko - Mitsui (Mitsui is a thief who steals balls from nice girls. So says Yuriko.)

Haruko - Miyagi (Ayako does not want to go through that again, no she does not.)(Miyagi wants to swop with Akagi. Only he isn't tall enough to be center)

Ayako - Akagi (At least the gorilla's jumping again)

Matsui - Rukawa (Cheer her on? She actually made Rukawa foul.) 

Wa - Sakuragi (He's got 2 fouls already, and 2 lumps on his head from Akagi.)

~~~~~~~~~~

The match was back on, and fought with even more energy than before. "The spectators," thought Matsui grimly, "Were just plain annoying. Now, wouldn't they shut up and let the poor girl concentrate in peace?" Playing against Rukawa was harder work than she had expected. She was fearfully tired. "And so is he." she grinned.

Rukawa was highly displeased. Why, that boorish girl had actually thwarted some of his best moves! He his eyes slitted, he glared at her. Crazy girl. She was grinning. Wasn't she tired? He thought he had worn her down. Apparently not. And apparently he'd underestimated her. She had just eluded him. Again. He ran to catch up.

Yuriko was in her best element now. She couldn't describe it. She wasn't nervous, or afraid. Everything suddenly seemed so clear cut. Why, if Mitsui wanted to steal the ball, take it right back! If she wanted to shoot, and Akagi was in the way, why, jump higher and slip the ball past him! If the time was ticking from 2 seconds to 1, and they only had one more point to draw, two more points to win, why, shoot and let the ball fall into the net!

"Yessss! We did it!" Yuriko screamed uncharacteristically. Not so much any longer, she knew, could feel that she was much a different person now. Felt more in control of herself, taller, stronger.

Ayako smiled. She knew what was wrong with herself now. It had come to her just after Miyagi had scored a point. Why, she loved him of course!

Matsui was jumping around in euphoria. She'd done it. She'd beaten the guy Haruko kept going on and on and on about. Now Haruko would have to shut up.

Haruko was shedding tears of joy. "Wa--waaaaahhhhhh!!! I'm so happy…" She was proud to be part of the team

Wa was yelling "Right bus! Right bus!" No one knew what she was talking about, and most were giving her strange looks.

Ru and Ka were busy dancing in the sidelines, singing. "We are the champions my friends, and we…keep on fighhhtttiinggg til the end… 'Cos we …" 

Anzai-sensei smiled. He knew they'd come through. He turned to the head, sitting beside him. "What do you think now?"

"Definitely. They are now officially a school activity. This means that they can represent the school in national championships, and the school will fund them for all the equipment they need."

"Oh good," said Wa.

"Sure, Duck-man is appeased." Matsui and Wa were practically rolling on the floor.

"Shame on you." The now truly gorillaesque Akagi was roaring at the boys. "Now, do it now…" he muttered into Sakuragi's ear and pushed him in the general direction of the girls.

"Ayako…" Sakuragi's hands were in his pockets and his head low.

"We admit it…we can't do without you… It's been a mess ever since we got Mitsui as the manager."

"OI!" Mitsui yelled from across the court. He'd tried. It wasn't his fault all sorts of things kept popping up, plus the files on each player had gone missing somewhere in between the hall and the laboratories. And all those little miscellaneous things Ayako was normally in charge of.

"Well…" Ayako's eyes glinted mischievously. "I'll let you guys know soon…"

[#] Yay. Next chapter = last chapter. Me happy. U happy. 

U unhappy? U happy? U review. Me happy. We all happy.[#] 


	9. [9ainthing in the Dark]

****

[Painting in the Dark]

A teacher who was forever handing out miscellaneous pieces of advice to the class once told me this: "Personality is a mask you believe in." 

From the back of the classroom, a note was passed. On it, the words 'Pretty ugly mask she's wearing then…" and a comical caricature was etched below.

But I've come to realise the true value of those words indeed, indeed. Everything's changed, and yet nothing has changed at all.

Do you get what I mean?

Good, because I don't. 

For those who answered 'yes', beat me up later, I'm not done yet. 

+ + + + + + + + + +

I think the greatest surprise the Shohoku Girls' Team has gotten is that Ayako isn't our captain any longer. She went back to being the manager of the Boys' team.

People have asked her why; the whole girls' team begged her to come back, but she just smiled that familiar smile of hers, and shook her head. She just says "I like." and annoys the heck out of everybody.

I think I know the reason though. One is because the boys' team rather obviously couldn't survive without her, and sad to say, that lent a rather smug expression to her otherwise sparkling smile for a few days. Another is more hard to explain, and only a pet theory.

She'd accomplished what she'd always wanted to do, and now that the dream was taking off, she wanted to let it go, like a mother bird and its chicks. Ayako was affectionately termed 'Mother-hen' by the team after all the fussing-overs and…and…just general mother-henish behaviour. 

She'd seen the team through its experimental stages, and now was ready to return to what to her was normality. Some people are like that. It's only a theory though.

Yet another, but more subtle reason is because of plain, simple love. She'd kill me if she heard me, but it is too obvious. I am sorry, Ayako, but it is true, and all who know you can see it. She loooovvveeesss her Miyagi-kun.

We first began noticing this some time after that famous match. She'd suddenly stopped in a daze, and shaking herself out of the stupor, whacked herself with her own paper fan. We were all stunned. Soon it became quite regular, and we became quite worried. 

Haruko thought she was going through a self-inferiority problem. 

"It's obvious. Look at the signs! Whenever those basketball boys of her year walk by, she whacks herself. Can't you see? She feels inferior to them, so she whacks her…"

I didn't listen to what else Haruko had to say, nor the rest of the discussions of the girls. A sudden seedling had wormed its way into my ever-ingenious brain. 

"Second year, eh…? A certain…"

"What's that?" Wa turned her head around sharply. 

"Nothing, nothing…"

"Tell me tell me tell me tell me tell m…"

"Fine, fine." And I told her that Ayako had a big crush on Miyagi-kun.

We didn't know the rest of the girls were listening on.

And neither did we know that 'the girls' included our dear Ayako. Whups, whups, me bad. 

+ + + + + + + + + +

Anyway, so Ayako went back to the boys. She still visits us though. Our new captain is Yuriko, no surprise there.

Or maybe there is a surprise.

Let's just say that the Yuriko of 5 months ago…I would have died laughing if she had been made captain.

And _this_ Yuriko. I would die if I laughed at her for becoming captain.

And yet, her personality, that mask she wears hasn't changed a bit. Same Yuriko, same shy way of talking, although a good deal more of talking now, same old way of blushing whenever she's praised.

You see, if I laughed at her now, she would blush and say, 

"Really? I shall try to improve at being a captain. And by the way? Do you mind if you run 16 laps around the courts? Thank you so much." 

And all in a half-smiling, docile manner.

+ + + + + + + + + +

And an interesting thing happened to the RuKaWa brigade. The original members, that is. They've quit the Brigade. Yet it isn't such a surprise to those who knew them closely. 

Less and less they were being known for hunting down Rukawa, and more and more they're being known as The Girls Who Beat Rukawa. 

Yet nothing's changed in that area either. Remember Ru2 Ka2 and Wa2, bless their dear, loyal, fanatical souls? They are now officially Ru Ka and Wa. There was a be-you-ti-ful ceremony in which the originals passed over their pink head gear to them. 

All over the place there were, Kaes, Das, Ruks, waRus, hugging each other and shedding tears. Now the originals are known by their real names. Wa's (the original one) name is Midori. We all laugh because it means green. 

Don't ask me, we laugh at the strangest things.

Anyway, it hasn't really changed because the new Ru Ka and Wa all look exactly, and act exactly as the originals did 5 months ago. 

Now that the originals all cut their hair (We all cut our hair short for the sake of coolness) its simply like we got three new people, instead of losing three.

Ayako, (who was still with us at that time) didn't cut her hair. Now we all know it was because she was leaving, but then we didn't. Anyway, her hair would look simply _mad_ if she cut it short. Never mind, Wa, or Midori, teased. She could swish her voluminous hair in the opponent's face and steal the ball. 

Midori was having her hair cut at that time, so it was bad of Ayako to try and whack her; the paper fan was cut into half, and Midori's hair is half an inch shorter than the rest of ours. Funny, funny.

+ + + + + + + + + +

Another great thing that has happened is that there have been literally billions of application forms to join our team. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but the size is GNINORMOUS. I kid you not.

We've had a really fun time, because it does a little to our egos to get to pick whom will get in and not. Well, that was mean. Well, it's the _truth_.

+ + + + + + + + + +

It's not like me to act all corny and cliched and mushy and stuff, but I'll give it a shot. Just this once. So long as no one else can hear, or it'll ruin my reputation.

You know, these 5 months, its just been this great journey for all of us. Lots of life lessons, self-identities, courage, and a whole mish-mash pot of things have been picked up along the way. That poem we were doing for English, (You know, the one English teachers make you do year after year after year. And say 'Now here is a very famous poem, but you may not have heard of it…' yeah right.) And ends with 'And that road made all that difference.'

You could probably say it now. 

[+] Hurrah hurray bring out the banners, I am done. _simpers_ I'd like to thank you for following this through with me… sorry if any one is left floundering, or thinks I rushed through at the speed of a runaway pig. I have an attention span of a pea, and if there is any debate over the size, it is around [ ] this much. So I hop around from idea to idea. It's a very bad habit that I'm trying to correct. I also hop around in between typing chapters, so that is why the churn out at the speed of a dead pig. And that is why they (the chapters) are shorter than my attentio…me. I am very vertically challenged, having grown a cm since P6 (I'm Sec 2 now), and SHRUNK by 2 cm since last year. Oh dear, I'm talking rot again.[+]

__

Preview from a fic likely to appear…when, June?!? I swear I shall complete it before uploading it.

…**xxx**_ backed away and_gasped. Rose**mary Sue**-Ann Rain was as dead as a doorknob._

If you do not get the joke, you are hopeless. I have been oh-so-obvious.


End file.
